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Database: From Gene to Flesh

PhenomicDB is a new tool to help researchers determine how genes contribute to an organism's phenotype, or physical and behavioral characteristics. Compiled by bioinformatics expert Bertram Weiss of the pharmaceutical company Schering AG in Berlin, Germany, and colleagues, the compendium unites information on genes and their effects from WormBase, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, FlyBase, and other collections. Data cover humans and model organisms such as yeast, mice, and nematodes, allowing users to search for genes linked to a multitude of phenotypes—from neural tube defects to dwarfism to prostate cancer. By combining far-flung data, PhenomicDB makes it easier to determine which genes trigger similar outcomes in different organisms and to compare the impact of related genes across species.